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Mosquitos, Gnats, and Ticks… OH MY!
Summer is typically a time of abundance across the range of white-tailed deer, but just because there is lush green vegetation everywhere doesn’t mean that deer have it easy. With the dog days of summer quickly approaching, your deer herd is faced with a multitude of challenges. Parts of the Midwest have had ample rainfall which is a blessing and a curse. Blessed in that food plots and crops are growing great, but the bad news is that mosquito and gnat populations are also thriving.
BITING INSECTS
This time of year, deer are especially susceptible to biting insects. Their coats are as thin as ever, which is great for temperature control, but doesn’t bode well for bug protection. Most of the time, the backs of the ears, lower parts of the legs, and the face/neck area are the targets for these menacing critters.
This is a time when the bucks are actively growing antlers and the does are trying to keep up with lactation. Here is a picture I captured recently that shows the struggle of an adult doe literally being drained by her progeny as well as a plethora of biting insects.
The biting midges in the Culicoides genus are known for causing two widespread diseases in white-tailed deer: Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) and Bluetongue Virus (BT). These outbreaks typically happen more often during drought years, but when there is an overabundance of rain on the landscape, midge populations can also flourish because there are muddy pools created, which are perfect midge habitat.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
What can you do to help your deer herd survive a disease outbreak? The best thing to do is make sure your herd has access to high quality nutrients to keep them healthy so they can be better prepared to fight off all the things trying to suck the life out of them. Feeding Ani-Supplement GOLD is the quickest way to get your herd the benefit of our Ani-Shield TX4 technology, but that is also the most costly.
If you are looking for a more budget-friendly option for getting key micro-minerals, vitamins, essential oils, and probiotics to your herd, consider using products in the mineral category. I like to use a combination I call “The Ultimate Mineral Site” which is 1 Ani-Mineral block, 1 bag of Mineral Dirt 180, and 1 jug of liquid Mineral Dirt 180.
It is the perfect storm of attraction, nutrition, and longevity. Giving your herd access to high quality nutrients will ensure their immune system is at peak performance prior to being compromised by any bug bites or diseases. We know from our veterinarians that 70% of the outcome of any disease challenge is related to pre-disease nutritional status. If a deer goes into late summer healthy, they have a much better change of coming out alive if EHD rears its ugly head.
Products
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CRUSH Road Block
$29.99 -
Whiteout Frenzy
$103.90 -
Mineral Dirt 180 - 20lb
$36.99 -
Summer CRUSH
$39.99 – $129.99